


Release

by isoisoashley



Series: Breathe [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alicia has more feelings, Gen, Happy Ending, Jack tells Bob and Alicia, Phone Calls, post 3.13 Riverside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-21 02:59:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11934903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isoisoashley/pseuds/isoisoashley
Summary: “Since the summer!”“Since graduation,” Bobby corrects, grinning.“Bobby…” she feels her breath catch. “He’s serious about this.” Her husband hums his agreement, turns to stir something on the stove.“You sound worried.”“No.” She takes in a deep breath, lets it out slowly and raises the glass to her lips. “It’s not worry. Not exactly.”





	Release

Alicia stands at the counter, clutching a glass of red in one hand, the other pressed against the rapid flutter of her heart as she watches Bob chop vegetables for dinner.

 

“Since the summer!”

 

“Since graduation,” Bobby corrects, grinning.

 

“Bobby…” she feels her breath catch. “He’s serious about this.” Her husband hums his agreement, turns to stir something on the stove.

 

“You sound worried.”

 

“No.” She takes in a deep breath, lets it out slowly and raises the glass to her lips. “It’s not worry. Not exactly.”

 

“Ah, well.” She can’t help but smile as he veers off course to press a kiss to the side of her head. “You’ll let me know when you figure it out?”

 

She makes a noise of agreement and reaches out to steal a stray piece from the cutting board.

 

  * \-    -



 

It’s that same not worry that wakes her that night.  She stares at the ceiling for a handful of moments before she slides from bed and heads down the hall to nudge open the door to Jack’s room.

 

He’s 25 now, not 5 or 10 or 18, quiet and pale after his release from the hospital. He’s at home in his own apartment in Providence, sleeping, she’s sure, as it’s late and Jack’s very much a creature of habit. She pushes the door open anyway and leans against the frame, studying the neatly made bed. She can almost see him there, a lump under the covers, dark hair messy against the pillow.

 

 _It’s Bittle. Uh, Eric? From Samwell._ There’s a flush across his cheeks and though there are a bit of nerves in his voice, the look in his eyes is anything but unsure.

 

Eric Bittle, the boy who, as a freshman, had shoved Jack past his comfort zone, forced him to be a better teammate and Captain.

 

 _He’s afraid of everything! He can’t even take a check--he’s fast, but that’s useless. Maman. The minute someone comes near him he drops._ The disgust in his tone is palpable.

 

 _Jack._ She waits a beat till she’s sure she has his attention. _He’s afraid?_

 

He makes a noise in the back of his throat that’s so like his father she almost pulls back the phone to check she’s still talking to her son. _He’s afraid._

 

 _You’ve been afraid before too_ , she reminds him gently.

 

 _Not of checking_ , his tone is dry but the frustration has taken a backseat and instead there’s a sort of consideration there.

 

She’d wondered, later, when they’d been taking a class together, if there was something there. Jack’s phone calls home were full of Eric--his baking, his procrastination, the advancements he’d been making on the ice. She wondered, because she remembered when his words had been full of another boy as well. But despite the frequent mention of Eric, Jack’s calls home had started being more overall. More about the team, about what they did off the ice. About the photography class he was taking.

 

He’d signed with the Falconers and asked for her help finding a new apartment. And after graduation...he’d settled well into his life in Providence. Made friends on his new team and saw enough of the boys from Samwell that she didn’t worry overmuch about him being lonely or having the chance to withdrawal into solitude even when the stress of his new career picked up.

 

She closes her eyes, feels a prickle behind her eyes.  Hears the faint _beep beep_ of a heart monitor, faded after 7 years but still there. She wonders if it will ever go away.

 

Lead scorer and an “A” on his chest. Playing a sport he loves, his way, despite everything.

 

And he is in love.

 

She presses a cheek to the cool wood of the door frame, feels a few tears spill down her cheeks.

 

Her quiet, thoughtful, anxious little boy has built a life for himself and opened it enough to share it with someone. Someone who, after playing and living with him for two years, would have to know the best and worst of him. And, if the look on Jack’s face was anything to go by, loves him back.

 

Her breath catches in her throat, not quite a sob, and she holds it for a moment as she opens her eyes, finally able to pinpoint the feeling.

 

Relief.

 

Joy.

 

She’s never doubted Jack would have a life but she’d wanted, oh, how badly she’d wanted for him to be more than successful. She wants him _happy_.

 

She presses the heel of her hand to her chest, feels the steady beat of her heart as she exhales. She studies the room, sees nothing but the neatly made bed and childhood mementos Jack has chosen to leave behind, hears only the sounds of their house in the night.

 

There’s no reason to stop the smile that moves across her face as she takes a deep breath, heart light, and closes the door to head back to bed.

 

**Author's Note:**

> And that's it! The series is done. Considering I didn't even intend for it to *be* a series in the first place... it was a quick and dirty trio that wouldn't leave my brain. 
> 
> As heavy as it's been, I've had a really... I hate to say "good time" but it's been really satisfying to dive a little bit into Alicia, partly because we know so little about her, really, and her relationship with Jack. I've read some amazing pieces on AO3 with her and it made me think about what had to be one of the worst times in her life (Inhale) and then the big moments with Jack afterward. I've got the bits of an Alicia and Bob falling in love story whirling around now that I will probably have to get down eventually but, for now, thank you for reading! 
> 
> If you want to come say hi on Tumblr, you can find me at: https://squat-a-palooza.tumblr.com/


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